Watch how The First Tee of WNY changes lives.

For nearly two decades in Buffalo, thousands of children from a diverse range of backgrounds have been empowered to succeed in life through The First Tee of Western New York (TFTWNY), a nonprofit youth development organization that teaches kids life skills through the game of golf.

TFTWNY is one of 175 chapters in the U.S., but the lifeblood of the program is support and involvement from our local community. Even with all the good work the organization does, many potential supporters either have never heard of the program or think of it as just a summer golf camp.

To help address this issue, last summer TFTWNY asked us to create a video that could help acquaint potential donors, coaches, volunteers, and parents with the program. There are a lot of great youth development organizations in WNY to get involved with, so what makes this one so special?

We attended a youth development class hosted by TFTWNY to get a good sense of what the program was all about. After just a few minutes of observation, the idea for our video became clear. The only way to tell the story of this program was to let real participants share what made the program so special to them. No script, no special effects, no voiceovers. Just firsthand accounts of the impact the program had on the kids, coaches, volunteers, and parents involved.

Eight days of shooting on four golf courses, sixteen interviews, nine hours of footage, and many editing hours later, we had our story. And it’s something we’re proud of.

To support, volunteer, or get your child involved in the program, visit TheFirstTeeWesternNY.org.